Oli Chignell delivered a win and a top-20 New Zealand display at the weekend.
A 7min 52.97sec 3000m in Bergen, Norway, moved the Dunedin runner to 19th on the all-time national rankings.
Oli Chignell.
It edged him ahead of fellow Dunedin runner Blair Martin, who ran a 7min 53.29sec in Sydney 21 years ago.
Chignell backed that up with a win in the 5000m at the Folksam Grand Prix in Sollentuna, Sweden.
In what he described as a “slow and windy” race, Chignell ran 13min 40.15sec.
While 13sec slower than his personal best, it left him 2sec ahead of second-placed Hiko Tonosa, of Ireland.
Chignell is based in London, spending the New Zealand winter racing around Europe.
He has an eye on qualifying for the world championships, which begin in Oregon on July 15.
